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Educating Rita

We live in a world where a strong awareness of identity and acceptance play a vital role in developing a sense of belonging. This idea is explored in the text Educating Rita by Willy Russell and is also evident in the picture book Red Tree by Shaun Tan. In Educating Rita, Rita has yet to develop a strong sense of her identity, thus leaving her feeling estranged and vulnerable in her mundane working-class life. A comparable idea of an unnamed girl apathetically living her life in Red Tree creates connection with the main text, as it reinforces the separation between the characters and their current worlds.

Others might present a barrier which prevents an individual in developing a sense of belonging. Denny objects to Rita’s attempt to move away from him and constantly try to force her to stay in their world. This is apparent in the quote “He said it’s warped me. He said I’d betrayed him”. We know that Rita is known as a character who is bubbly and garrulous, hence the use of short sentence highlights her anxiety and fear. The word ‘betrayed’ is used as a provocation to make Rita question her identity therefore shaking her sense of belonging in the educational world. This idea is also perceptible in Red Tree, on the double-spread picture of the unnamed girl standing in front of a crowd, holding a puppet of herself. Through the use of gaze offer, we are introduced to an understanding that the girl is forced to take part in something she does not value. The faceless audiences in the shadow are looking up at her, seemingly expecting her to put on an act with a fake puppet portrayal of herself. This girl is an effective representative of Rita trying to cope with her working-class background topped with massive expectations from her friends and families. We can also see how the light pastel hue on the girl and that of the audiences creates a powerful contrast between their desires to escape from their current state, just like how Rita craves for a place where she...

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...The movement into a new world can me emotional, physical or mentally and can be a personal change or be promoted by a mentor. In “EducatingRita” by Willy Russell, Frank promotes Rita to venture into his world of education in order for her for achieve the freedom and choice she desires, however Frank can also be a barrier for Rita at times. This change is not an easy change and comes at a cost.
From early on in the play Willy Russell depicts the difference in class through the contrast of Rita and Frank. Rita’s language can been seen as informal, loose and lots of swearing, typical images of a working class upbringing juxtaposed to the precise and formal educated language used by Frank. Rita longs to enter the world of education and escape her working class origins when she realises she is “slightly out of step” therefore she sees the Open University as a way of moving into a different world where she has “choice”. Rita asks Frank “God what’s it like to be free?” but this question is seen as ironic, because Frank is not free and is restricted by his poky office and his unsatisfying job. The office however, is a place where Rita one day wishes to move into. She is unaware and naive that the change she desires is superficial. This is contradicts what she says in scene 1; “But if you try to change y’ have to do it from the inside, don't y’?”....

...Willy Russell, ‘EducatingRita’ 27/11/07
‘EducatingRita’ explores the way in which a woman, in her late twenties, Rita, has to deal with everyday life, conflict change and different phases as she becomes educated. The play is based on Willy Russell’s own life. At the start of the play, Frank is a more relaxed character. Rita is a hyper and open minded character, searching for adventure. She comes from the working class society and tries to become educated and well respected. Frank on the other hand is from the upper-class society, well educated but has lost most of his respect through drinking. As the play progresses Frank starts to show a romantic and affectionate side of himself towards Rita, she starts to move away from Frank as she makes new friends and as she becomes more educated, creating a sense of jealousness in Frank.
Russell focuses on Franks actions in the beginning of the play. Frank is a relaxed character that gets excited by alcohol “Jubilantly he moves to the Dickens section and pulls out a pile of books to reveal a bottle of whiskey.” The quotation implies that Frank secretively drinking and hiding his alcohol from others view. The quote could also be used as a metaphor where the alcohol is his real life being hidden from other people. He feels bad about drinking nevertheless he feels compelled and destined to...

...‘into the world’.
When responding to texts, students are to demonstrate the different pathways (worlds and ways of coping) that are available.
EducatingRita - Willy Russell
explores notions of personal growth and self awareness through the transformation and process of change that occurs in Frank and Rita.
the playwright describes the play as “a love story”, although the relationship that unfolds between Rita and Frank is also a story about “literature, language and education”.
an educative relationship between teaching and learning is examined through the transition from ignorance to knowledge and enlightenment.
an educational context is used to explore the development of skills, attitudes, values and outlook that takes place in Frank and Rita.
Frank and Rita’s interaction as teacher and student triggers a re-evaluation of self and their relationship with their world. The bond they form generates the emotional impetus (force) needed to undergo fundamental (so basic as to be hard to alter, resolve, or overcome) change.
this is represented through Rita and Frank’s juxtaposition of class, background, social expectations and values.
in the...

...﻿EducatingRitaEducatingRita by Willy Russell follows the protagonist, Rita’s, attempts to break away from her mundane and meaningless working class existence by gaining a University education. Through the help from her reluctant tutor, Frank, Rita attempts to overcome the social constraints that prevent an individual from transferring between different social classes and solidify her position in the educated middle class. As both Frank and Rita attempt to escape the worlds that they belong to and attain the lives they aspire to, those things they must leave behind highlight that one must make significant sacrifices when going ‘into the world’.
The opening of the play introduces Rita as she enrols in the Open University program because she wants ‘to know’. She desires an escape from her meaningless working class existence and perceives education as the transfer, which will allow her to make the transition into educated middle class society, to enter a new world. As Rita meets her tutor, Frank for the first time, Russell establishes an immediate contrast between Frank and Rita conveying that they are both from different worlds. This contrast is made clear through Frank’s eloquent speaking and Rita’s scouse accent “I’m comin in, aren’t I? It’s that stupid bleedin’ handle on the door. You wanna get it fixed”. The vast difference between the...

...shown in the play “EducatingRita” Willy Russell and the book “Piggybook” by Anthony Browne. Both these texts engage on confronting society and going higher in the working class world.
Rita is a twenty-six year old hairdresser from Liverpool who has decided to get a higher education. Not the sort of education that would get her just a better job, but an education that would open up for her a whole new working- class world, a liberal education. Rita wants to be a different person, and live an altogether different sort of life than she has been living so far. She enrolls in the Open University, a government program that allows non-traditional students to get the kind of higher education that used to be reserved more or less for the offspring of the upper classes. "EducatingRita" describes the trials and transformations that the young hairdresser has to go through to develop from a person with hardly any formal schooling at all into a student who passes her university exams with ease and distinction. Frank Bryant is a disappointed intellectual who has no real use anymore for literature, culture, or the life of the mind. Frank accepted the offer to be Rita’s tutor in order to support his drinking habit. Introducing working people in particular to the world of higher education seems utterly pointless to him. He himself would much rather go to a pub than spend the evening instructing some...

...experience growth and cope with change in the world and themselves. Willy Russell’s play EducatingRita, demonstrates different pathways between the two protagonists, Frank and Rita and there coming ‘into the world’ journey. In the play Willy Russell uses visual techniques such as: positioning, colouring, facial expression, and symbols. The use of these techniques has allowed the composer to portray a better understanding of the play EducatingRita and how it represents the message of coming ‘into the world’.
One of the main themes in EducatingRita is change. Rita want’s to move into a different world from where she grew up in. At the beginning of the play the audience comes to understand Rita changes her name from Susanne to Rita. This is significant as it shows an indication that she wants to transform herself, leaving her past behind her.
Frank however becomes uncomfortable with the idea of being the mechanism of Rita’s change.
The theme change is represented in the positioning of the two protagonists as it signifies both Frank and Rita as ‘coming into the world. The positioning of the characters shows Frank standing over Rita, distinctively reflecting the authority of Frank as he is the professor and the enthusiasm of Rita, as she is getting an education she is finding herself “See...

...﻿It is indeed true that an individuals’ transition from the familiar out into the wider domain is a journey full of obstacles that challenge the outcomes of moving into the world. EducatingRita, a 1980 British double handed play by Willy Russel and Mike Newell’s 2003 drama film ‘Mona Lisa Smiles’ starring Julia Roberts both explore the concepts of education, struggles of personal relationships and society expectations. Furthermore, it explores the perception that through gaining knowledge an individual can obtain empowerment in a modern world, hence making the transitional experience prosperous.
Rita is a protagonist who is eager for knowledge as she believes education has the potential to give her an enhanced position in life. Rita’s repetitive “I wanna know” conveys her yearning desire towards education as she wants to acquire knowledge and gain a more meaningful life. Rita’s “I don’t want to talk about irrelevant rubbish anymore” expresses her unwillingness to convers about unrelated material as she believes she has more to offer of herself. Rita’s progresses as an independent woman as she ‘doesn’t need [Frank] to hold me hand as much”. Rita’s progression into the world through her studies has allowed her to achieve her goals by confronting her obstacles with the assistance of frank and gain independence in the modern world.
The struggles faced in personal affiliation is portrayed through the text through the difficulties and...

...world’. Willy Russell’s play EducatingRita, shows us that attitude is important for change and growing ‘into the world’.
The new experiences can be problematic but it’s up to the individual to prevail and conquer.
It demonstrates to us that change involves taking risks leading to positive consequences of change. Opening the door provides new experiences for growth and change just like Rita opening the door to her lessons provides her the opportunity to absorb knowledge so eagerly.
The Door allows you to get out and experience new things.
The door, being the vital metaphor of the play, represents a barrier, which holds us back from instigating a change. It is the perfect symbol for going into the world. It is a portal to new opportunities and experiences if the individual decides to take the initiative. This poem tells us to take a chance, to leave your comfort zone, take a gamble, take a risk, risk it all, risk anything, heck! Risk everything, and embark upon the outside world.
In ER Rita struggles to open the door at the beginning but it becomes easier throughout as she is entering the educated world.
She experiences Franks tutoring and she blindly idolises everything in the educated world as ideal and perfect. Her hunger for knowledge drives her through Frank’s lessons in order to grow and change. Rita expects Frank to teach her ‘everything’ in order to have choice and direction in her...